“Don’t stop,” I whisper in reply. “Don’t make me…” Dipping his head, he catches that same nipple with his mouth, lapping at it with his tongue. I squeeze my eyes and mouth shut, as I push my head back against the pillow. My back arches upwards, giving him more access. He hums, pleased. After a
Caleb and I, as well as most of the soldiers sit in the back of the truck, while Tristan and one soldier sit up front. The ride to the capital is long, especially without a seat cushion, but not a one of us complains. Without any light from outside, we are left in total darkness. As the trip progr
Caleb and I move to the center of the warehouse. The soldiers and other loyal citizens make room for use. When word gets out that we are going to spare, we earn ourselves a sizeable crowd. They should be getting ready for the fight ahead, but I suppose watching the king spar with a member of his har
“King Caleb,” Tristan says, materializing nearby. “It’s time to go.” Caleb looks at me a moment more, then turns without another word to me. With Tristan’s help, he straps on the armored vest, then, leading the soldiers, slips out through the side door with them following behind. The plan, as I
With no time to waste, as soon as I’m dressed, I rush out of the warehouse and head down the streets toward the palace. My plan is flimsy at best, but someone has to take the risk to save those innocent servants. I’m not willing to let anyone else take the risk, despite my promise to Caleb. He’s
As the second guard nods, the first slips into the room. It takes a few minutes, but then an angry booming voice erupts so loudly, I can hear it even from the hallway. “Bring her here at once, you imbecile!” The second guard doesn’t wait for the first to reemerge before he shoves open the door t
“I will ask once more before I become a man you will not like,” George says. “Too late,” I snap. He glowers at me. “You can speak to insult me, but not to answer my questions. Do you know understand the precarious nature of your situation, whore? It is by my will alone that you live or die. I co
Some of the Alphas bow. Others stare as if seeing a ghost. I’m up on the stage near the throne, on my knees in front of George standing behind me. His hands are on my neck. As Caleb comes closer, his expression darkens more and more. A few feet away from me, his eyes flash red. He glances at m
When Caleb finally reappears in the hallway, my nerves prickle, while the guard forced to watch me seems relived. Caleb glances me over, seeing that I am unharmed and dutifully in the same spot he left me in. Then he grabs me again. This time, blessedly, he pulls me into a bridal carry and not jus
I force the annoyed thoughts from my mind. This is fine. If this leads to Bethany being saved, I can survive this. When we finally reach the palace, Caleb barks at some of the nearby guards, “Grab a medic and head down to the alley in town.” He gives a more specific address. “There is a wounded ha
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” I say. He narrows his eyes at me, as a growl escapes his lips. “Do not test me, Harper. I have little reason not to kill you as a traitor would deserve right at this very moment.” “Fine,” I say, then close my eyes. I was planning on bringing this to him a
“Sorry, Harper,” Ted says. “It’s not personal.” He hasn’t pulled the trigger yet, which is a good sign. But that he’s holding the gun at all is very, very bad. “Harper trusted you. Who turned you?” Bethany asks. “King Caleb did,” Ted replies. “The way he treated me and the others. I had to com
It was terribly romantic, and my heart ached for them. How I wished things could have been different. “On the day Evan was to announce his bride, just before his coronation, when his father was to hand over the crown, Caleb killed him,” Mrs. Robins says. She sighs heavily, like the breath is pun
Mrs. Robins takes a deep breath, and then begins to tell me the story of her daughter. “Summer was a servant in the palace. They had her assigned to cleaning up after the women of the palace. She wasn’t important enough to actually interact with them, but she would do their laundry and tend to the
Maybe they are. I hadn’t considered that. I can’t disprove it, but neither can I let it hold me back. “I’ll be on my guard,” I assure them both and then walk up to the door, leaving my companions down on the street. Lifting my hand, I knock twice on the door. At first, no one responds. “Hell
To my surprise, Caleb does not force the issue of my lying, even though he scowls deeply at me. Instead, he drops his hold on me, turns, and abruptly walks out of the room. Somehow, this feels worse. I’d almost rather he stay and argue with me, than face what I did just now. On his face, in a flas
Bethany and I shift our direction and head toward the guard barracks. While I hide behind a nearby pillar, not wanting to be scene, Bethany disappears inside. A few minutes later, she steps back outside with a familiar guard in tow. She brings him to my location. “Harper, I can’t believe it,” Ted